Arguments Against the Right to Repair Movement – Good for Consumers and the Environment, But Still Controversial

Advanced electronics are harder to fix. Smartphones, TVs, and cars require specialized diagnostic software and proprietary parts. Miniaturized, tightly packed components require specialized tools. Plus, repair manuals and schematics are not made available to users.

Right to Repair Movement - Fixing a mobile phone

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has long known that product manufacturers employ numerous methods to obstruct consumers and independent repair shops from executing repairs on their goods.

Click Here to Learn More About the Tactics Manufacturers Use to Obstruct Access

Arguments Against the Right to Repair Movement

While most consumer advocacy groups and environmentalists agree that the right to repair is something we should strive for, there are arguments against it. Experts agree that it can break manufacturers' monopoly on the repair market and benefit consumers in the long run. [5]

Right to Repair Movement - Fixing an electric car

According to Harvard Business Review, the potential response of manufacturers to right-to-repair bills will be heavily influenced by the production costs of the products. In markets where products are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, such as smartphones and microwaves, the manufacturers are likely to lower prices on new products and saturate the market.

This low-price strategy diminishes the incentive for repair since consumers may prefer purchasing a brand-new item at a reduced cost rather than repairing a used one.

Right to Repair Movement - Electronic Waste

Consequently, reducing prices helps manufacturers prevent older products from cannibalizing the sales of new ones, thus mitigating the "demand cannibalization effect" (a decrease in sales resulting from a company introducing a new product that displaces its existing products).

While reduced prices may benefit consumers, they also incentivize more individuals to buy new products, leading to increased production volume and, ultimately, more electronic waste.

Most companies are against the right-to-repair law for obvious (one might say selfish) reasons, but their arguments still require scrutiny.

What Does Apple Think About the Right to Repair?

Let's take Apple — one of the law's biggest opponents — as an example. The company argues that it's important to trust its repair specialists since only they can guarantee security and uphold the brand's quality standards.

While not all components may be affected, some replacements with non-Apple parts realistically could introduce unintended or even deliberate security vulnerabilities, potentially compromising user data. This concern is particularly relevant for critical features like the Face ID scanner in most iPhones.

Maintaining control over the quality of parts ensures that the overall user experience aligns with Apple's standards. For companies like Apple, it can be a reputation issue. If a newly repaired phone uses a subpar aftermarket screen, that might damage the brand's image since the product is still associated with Apple.

In Nebraska, an Apple representative told a state senator that passing the right-to-repair bill would turn the state into a "mecca" for hackers. The representative also made other claims, even stating that independent repair could cause fires from lithium batteries. [11]

Right to Repair Movement - Fixing a macbook

Nevertheless, according to the report published by FTC in 2021, "there is scant evidence to support manufacturers' justifications for repair restrictions." In their words, manufacturers' explanations for restrictions "are not supported by the record."

What About Other Consumer Electronics Companies? Do They All Think Like Apple?

Other consumer electronics companies share the same worries, but not all.

Some companies are now trying to distinguish themselves from the likes of Apple by being pro-right-to-repair.

For example, Framework's approach to product design aligns with the principles of the right-to-repair movement by offering users a transparent and accessible way to maintain and upgrade their devices. Unlike traditional laptops that are difficult to repair due to glued or soldered parts, the Framework Laptop is designed with easy access to components like the screen, webcam, and mic. Each part is replaceable with clear guidance available through QR codes. [16]

Fairphone is also among the growing number of companies that bet on modular design where components can be easily replaced, making repair simpler and cheaper [20].

Right to Repair Movement - Working on home computer

Many specialists believe that going back to making devices with interchangeable batteries is a logical first step. That alone will allow consumers to prolong their devices' lifespans significantly.

In Conclusion

Right now, fixing most things is prohibitively expensive — if it is even possible.

Consumers prefer going with a replacement instead of repairing what they have, and that carries significant environmental ramifications, including depletion of precious resources, pollution, landfill overflow, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Letting consumers repair and reuse products not only mitigates waste but also alleviates some of the economic strain they face.

Arguments Against the Right to Repair Movement – Good for Consumers and the Environment, But Still Controversial

Arguments Against the Right to Repair Movement

What Does Apple Think About the Right to Repair?

What About Other Consumer Electronics Companies? Do They All Think Like Apple?

In Conclusion

References

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